Dee, when some thieves really are only interested in property (and how many hours of your life are they stealing when they take something?), but some are in predator mode and they regard stealing your stuff as preying on those they have contempt for.
The ones in predator mode will have no trouble in going on to killing their prey, you.
To change the subject slightly, John Ringo has another book coming out, basically a future history survival story. The back ground is that the bird flu gets loose, and we have a ditz for a President. Ringo has traveled to many countries and has met people of many different cultures and uses that in this story to describe what he thinks would happen, and why.
This is the chapter on trust, and why a civilization needs it:
<http://jiltanith.thefifthimperium.com/Collections/TheLastCenturionChapters/TheLastCenturion_05.php>
Chilachuck, I believe that when someone breaks into you home, they have already made the decision that they are WILLING to have a physical confrontation with the occupants. This has to have already been decided, before the event. My own experience has shown me that countless times, and the most paramount thing that I noticed, in all my years, is that those whom cry the loudest to kill the thief are seldom willing to take the step themselves. String him up has been screamed from the roof tops many times, but few will throw the rope over the limb, and put the noose on his neck.
My point is, I have had the opportunity MANY times over property (someone else's) and did not, and at my age am glad I didn't. BUT! I have also watched our society spiral downward, and feel that we have reached the point that there are more and more folks out there (bandits) that understand nothing else but, deadly force.
I found early in my career that when dealing with gang related incidences, that if you TOOK BY FORCE, the leader of the incident, the rest had a tendency to fall into line more quickly.
However, to kill over property would be a hard decision, and one I have made. Luckily for myself and the perpetrator HE made a good decision, and relieved us both of a tramatic experience. To kill in defense, is a given, and have been there, though the actors did not die, but the two reasons for deadly force (property vs defense) are not the same. At least not to me.
As for SHOOTALL's comment concerning our meeting our maker, I would contend that circumstances and INTENT, will play the role in that great meeting. I would contend here, that the lawyer and the banker, are going to have some explaining to do. Scripture will validate this thought, however that is another topic, and another forum.
